Changing Expectations: I WANT IT NOW

     If you've ever watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you've likely been exposed to Violet Beauregarde's "I want it now" attitude. I firmly believe that we as a society do not appreciate the benefits provided by technological advances.  One of these advantages is the fact that we can get our dose of digital media at any time, with the click of a button.  This has essentially led to a Violet Beauregarde syndrome: we want access, and we want it now.  In order to secure brand loyalty, digital media organizations have to ensure that they provide content as soon as possible.  For instance, if a major news story has just occurred, news media organizations need to be quick to report; if they do't, audiences will simply gravitate to another news outlet that's already published the information.  

    The Facebook platform provides an excellent example of a "quick reaction".  Severe weather caused a series of tornadoes in Washington State earlier this week.  Nunley (2022) mentions that Facebook users quickly utilized the platform to share posts and live videos of the ongoing weather situation.  This provided other people living in the nearby area with the opportunity to seek shelter from the storm.  Facebook is beneficial in this instance because audiences are more likely to open their social media applications than a news website when they are on a work break.  Furthermore, the Facebook app provides a "Safety Check" feature, which allows users near a disaster zone to mark themselves as safe. The safe feature is an excellent way of notifying family and friends that we are ok just in case our telephone battery dies, or telecommunication signals become affected by the natural disaster. Among the amazing features of the Safety Check feature is that the Facebook app is able to PROACTIVELY reach out to Facebook subscribers within a geographically designated area to determine their safety status: this is done through push notifications, in-app messages, and pop-ups within their Facebook feed (Facebook, 2018).  

Nunley, C. (2022, May 7). People take to social media after two tornadoes caused damage near Spokane. King 5.https://www.king5.com/article/weather/possible-tornado-damage-spokane/281-c711467d-676a-47d1-b403-7b2e9e64f2e1

Facebook. (2018, October 9). Facebook releases Safety Check tool for crisis response.https://engineering.fb.com/2018/10/09/web/safety-check-for-workplace/